Measuring device



May 13, 1941- l. s. WILLIAMS 2,241,692

MEASURING DEVICE Filed 061'.. 25, 1939 ATTORNEYS Patented May 13, 1941 MEAsUanvG mevrou-v Lawrence S. Williams, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Toledo Scale Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application October 25, 1939, Serial No., 301,152

8 Claims.

This invention relates generally to vmeasuring instruments, and more particularly to an instrument for adjusting divider or trammel points to a micrometer dimension.

In accurately laying out dimensions to thousandths of an inch, or any other dimension which cannot be obtained directly by measuring with an accurately graduated steel scale, it has heretofore been necessary to align the work-piece upon a surface plate and then determine thedistances required by means of vernier or micrometer height gauges or similar micrometric dey vices. Frequently the time required for aligning the piece upon the surface plate is greater than that required for the actual lay out and furthermore a great deal of skill is required for the operation. n

The object of the present invention is the provision of improved means for adjusting the points of dividers, trammels or similar instruments to a micrometric dimension.

A further object is the provision of an instrument which enables workmen having even less than the ordinary skill to obtain accurate space settings of measuring instruments; and,

A further object is the provision of an instrument of the type referred to which is compact, simple and inexpensive to produce.

These, and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following descriptionin which reference is had. to the accompanying drawing, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar `reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing- Fig. I is a fragmentary perspective view of a device embodying the invention.

Fig. l1 is a fragmentary plan view thereof, a part being broken away to more clearly show the construction of the indicating mechanism.

Fig. III is a sectional view substantially along the line III-III of Fig. II; and, n

Fig. IV is a fragmentary longitudinal section substantially along the line IV--IV of Fig. II and showing in detail the manner in which the points of a divider are adjusted.

Referring to the drawing in detail:

The device comprises a base I6, which is in the form of an elongated strip or narrowplate, provided adjacent one of its edges with a series of sharply deilned V notches II. These notches may be spaced according to units of any desired system of lineal mensuration. In the illustrated embodiment the distance between two adjacent notches Il is .1 and the value of each notch is clearly indicated by numerals. The numerals I2 represent tenths of an inch while each tenth numeral I3, which is slightly larger in size, represents full inches.

For a reason which will presently become apparent, the zero notch I4 of this series and its Vdesignating numeral I5 are situated on a small rectangular plate I6. This plate is slidably mounted on bearing balls I 'I in a narrow rectangular recess I6 milled longitudinally from the end into the upper face of the base I0. The longitudinal walls of the recess I8 are undercut to form a V groove I9 and the longitudinal edges of theplate I6 are similarly provided with a V vgroove 20. These V grooves form ways in which bearing balls I1 are seated. Pins 2|, studded into one of the edges of the plate I6, one on each side of the balls Il, prevent these from shifting an appreciable amount with respect to the plate. A small wire staple 22 penetrating a wall of the recess performs the same function for the ball I1 which supports the opposite edge of the plate I6. The plate I6 is thus supported in a manner which offers very little frictional resistance to sliding motion. The grooves, balls and the plate are so designed and proportioned that the upper face of the plate I6 is flush with the face of the base I0. In a recess 23, milled transversely in the upper face of the base so that its longitudinal axis approximately bisects the recess I8, is located an arm 24 of a substantially T-shaped plate 25 having a portion 26 which projects beyond the edge of the base I0. The upper face of this portion 26 is provided with a series of indicia 21 whose values are identified by numerals 28. The end 29 of the inner arm 24 of the T-shaped plate 25 is bent upwardly at right angles to its face and this bent up portion has a slotted opening 30 through which an indicator 3| projects. This indicator is fulcrumed on a pintle 32 driven into a hole drilled through the up-turned portion 29 and passing freely but snugly through a hole in the indicator 3|. The T-shaped plate 25 is securely held in position by screws 33 which pass through holes in the base I0 and threaded into apertures in the portion 24 of the T-shaped plate 25. This pin 32, about which the indicator 3| turns, is coincident with that point from which the graduations of the series 21 radiate. To actuate the indicator 3|, a slot 34, accurately cut into that end of this indicator which overlies the plate I6, receives a drivespin 35, perpendicularly studded into the plate I6. l

'I'he indicator 3| is preferably made from tool or high carbon steel so that that portion in which the hole for the pintle 32 and the slot 3l are located may be hardened. The pintle 32 and the pin 35 are also made of hardened steel so as to minimize Wear between the contacting surfaces.

To house and protect the indicator 3| and its operative connection to the plate I6, as well as its fulcrum, a substantially fan-shaped stamped cover 33 provided with ears 31 is fastened, by means of screws 38, to the upper face of the base I0. The lower edge of a portion of the arcuate wall 33 (see Fig. III) is milled away to form a slot throughwhlch the index end of the indicator 3| projects.

The distance between the zero notch I4 and the center of the drive pin 35, as well as the location of the fulcrum pintle 32, must be so designed and proportioned that when the centers of the iirst notch I in the series on the base I0, and the center of the notch I4 on the plate I6 are exactly 11a" apart, the index point of the indicator 3| points to the zero indicium in the series 21 marked on the extending portion of the T-shaped plate 25. The lengths of the lever arms of the indicator 3| must also be so proportioned that when the distance between the rst notch in the series on the base i and the notch i4 is increased to .2, by sliding the plate I6 on its bearing balls, the index point of the indicator must point to the graduation numbered 100 in the series 21. Preferably, there are ilfty graduations in this series so that each graduation represents .002". Since these graduations may be spaced a substantial distance apart it is readily possible to determine distances to within onethousandths of an inch or less with the device.

The operation of the device is as follows:

When it is desired to space points 40 and Il of a divider (Fig. IV) exactly 1.318" apart the point 40 is placed into the 1.3" notch in the base I0 and the other point into the zero notch I4 in the plate I6. The divider points are then adjusted, while the point 4| is in this zero notch, by the means provided, usually a screw, until the plate I6 has shifted on its bearing balls a disvtance sucient to cause the drive pin 35, which is studded in the plate IB, to turn the indicator 3| about its fulcrum pin 32 until its index points to the .018" indicium in the series 21. It is obvious that the base I0 may be made of any reasonable length and graduated with a suflicient number of notches so thatspacings within the tolerance of .001" of any' desired reasonable length can be readily obtained.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, in combination, a base, a series of sharply dened aligned notches, a majority of said notches being cut into said base, a plate having a sharply deiined notch mounted in a recess in said base, said notch in said plate lying in alignment with and forming one of said series in said base, said plate being rectangular in shape and adapted to move towards and away from said series of notches in said base, means for antifrictionally mounting said plate in said base, said antifriction mounting means comprising grooves in longitudinal walls of such recess, similar grooves in longitudin'al edges of said plate, a plurality of bearing balls mounted in said grooves, means for retaining said hearing balls in said grooves and said retaining means comprising pins studded into said plate and extending into the space formed by said grooves and spaced a substantial distance on each side of each of said balls, on

one longitudinal side oi said plate and a substantially U-shaped wire staple having its legs penetrating a wall of said recess in said base and extending into the space formed by said grooves on the other longitudinal side of said plate, one

o! said legs of said staple being spaced on each side of the bearing ball in said groove.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a base, a series of sharply deiined aligned notches, a. majority oi said notches being cut in said base. a plate having a sharply defined notch slidably mounted in said base, said plate being disposed in said base so that said notch lies in alignment with and forms one of the aforementioned series of notches, an arcuate series of indicia marked on said base, an indicator rotatably mounted on said bases for cooperation with said arcuate series of indicia, means xed to said slidably mounted plate for rotating said indicator for cooperation with said arcuate series of indiciaupon movement of said slidably mounted plate, said indicator having a longitudinally disposed slot adjacent its end and said means for rotating said indicator comprising a member ilxed to said plate and engaging said slot.

3. In a device of the class described, in combination, a base, a series of sharply defined aligned notches, a majority of said notches being cut in said base, a plate having a sharply deiined notch slidably mounted in said base, said plate being disposed in said base so that said notch lies in alignment with and forms one of the aforementioned series of notches, an arcuate series of indicia marked on said base, an indicator rotatably mounted on said base for cooperation with said arcuate series of indicia, means xed to said slidably mounted plate for rotating said indicator for cooperation with said arcuate series of indicia upon movement of said slidably mounted plate, said indicator having a longitudinally disposed slot adjacent its end. saidmeans for rotating said indicator comprising a member xed to said plate and engaging said slot and a member secured to said base for housing a substantial portion oi said indicator.

4. In a device of the class described, in combination, an elongated base having a series of aligned sharply defined V notches adjacent one of its edges, said notches being spaced according to units of a. system of linear mensuration and adapted selectively to receive a divider point, a plate, means mounting said plate on said base for limited free movement in the direction of alignment of said notches, said plate having a notch disposed in alignment with said series of notches and adapted to receive the other point of such divider, said plate being adapted for movement on said mounting means when such divider points are being adjusted and indicating means actuated upon movement of said plate for indicating a fraction of the total distance between such divider points.

5. In a device of the class described, in combination, a base, a series of sharply dened aligned notches, a majority of said notches being cut nto said base, a plate having a sharply defined notch, said notch in said plate lying in alignment with and formingone of said series, means for mounting said plate on said base for limited free movement in the direction of alignment of said notches, means for antifrictionally mounting said plate in said base, said antifriction mounting means comprising grooves in longitudinal walls of such recess, similar grooves in longitudinal edges of said plate, a plurality of bearing balls mounted in said grooves and means for retaining said bearing balls in said grooves.

6. In a device of the class described, in combination, a base having a series of sharply deilned aligned notches cut therein, a plate having a sharply defined notch cut therein, said notch in said plate lying in alignment with and cooperating with said series cut in said base, antifriction means mounting said plate on said base to be shifted towards and away from said series of notches in said base, said antifriction mounting means comprising grooves in longitudinal walls of such recess, similar grooves in longitudinal edges of said plate and a plurality of bearing balls mounted in. said grooves.

7. In a device of the class described, in combination, a base having a series of sharply deflned aligned notches formed therein, a plate having a sharply dened notch formed therein, said plate being disposed on said base so that said notch therein lies in augment with and cooperates with said aforementioned series of notches, means slidably mounting` said plate upon said base. an arcuate series of indicia marked on said base, an indicator rotatably mounted for cooperation with said arcuate series or indicia and means xed to said slidably mounted plate for rotating said indicator for cooperation with said arcuate series of indicia upon movement of said slidably mounted plate.

8. In a device of the class described, in combination, a base, a series of'sharply dened aligned notches formed in said base, a plate having a sharply denned notch formed therein, means shiftably mounting said plate on said base for movement in the direction of alignment of said series o1' notches, said notch in said plate being in alignment with yand cooperating with said series in said base, said notch in said plate when said plate ls in its normal position being spaced a distance from its adjacent notch equal to the distance between two other notches of said series and means for continuously visually indicating the distance between said notch in saidplate and said adjacent notch in said series when said plate is being shifted.

LAWRENCE S. WILLIAMS. 

